


Transformers Prime Wars: Data File Collection

by WalkTheTyrannosaur



Category: Transformers - All Media Types, Transformers Generation One
Genre: Alternate Universe, Gen, In-universe Historical writing, Original Universe, Other, character biographies
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-14
Updated: 2019-06-13
Packaged: 2020-05-07 11:16:41
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,442
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19208278
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WalkTheTyrannosaur/pseuds/WalkTheTyrannosaur
Summary: A series of supplemental writings for my self-style Transformers continuity. From historical summaries to character write-ups, these data files expand on the world of the Prime Wars.





	Transformers Prime Wars: Data File Collection

**Author's Note:**

> This series deals with an original Transformers continuity of my own creation. All elements original to this work, including any deviations, are of my own creation.
> 
> Special thanks to my friend Jo for designing the insignia shown in this chapter, and my friends Wadapan, Tindalos, and Paz for beta reading this for me!

****

**Planetary Vanguard**

The **Planetary Vanguard** was a Cybertronian military force established by Sentinel Prime, meant to secure the “safety, security, and future of all Cybertronians”. However, in operation, the Planetary Vanguard served to spread Cybertron supremacy, force oppression of those the Vanguard saw as inferior, and ultimately led to the downfall of the  **Cybertron High Council** , the beginning of the  **Cybertron Civil War** , and the creation of the most fearsome and deadly army the galaxy has ever known.

**The Origins of the Vanguard**

The events that led to the establishment of the Vanguard began with what are known as the  **“Quintesson Wars”** . In PSC-10567 (”Pre-War Solar Cycle”), during Sentinel Prime’s tenure as leader of the High Council, the Cybertronian Alliance  —  the political union of Cybertron’s many city states  —  annexed the planet  **Klo** , a world bordering what was then the edges of space controlled by the  **Quintesson Confederacy** , a political power dominated by a biomechanical alien race known as the **Quintessons** . The Confederacy, who had long been rivals of the Cybertronian Alliance, began to secretly support the native population of Klo by providing them with weapons and intelligence that allowed them to more effectively rebel against the Cybertonians occupying their world. Thus began the  **Klonian Uprising** .

In an effort to quell the rebellion,  **War Minister Traachon** took over command of the  **Cybertron Militia** , the planet’s volunteer military force  — but found himself outmaneuvered on every front by the Klonian rebels and the Quintesson general,  **Architeuthis** . Ultimately, Cybertronian forces were forced to abandon Klo, and Traachon was only able to avoid embarrassment by pinning his failures on a Militia commander known as **Kup** .

Controversy over the Alliance’s loss on Klo dominated discussion in the High Council, especially as the Klonians officially joined the Confederacy. Traachon, who was still pushing the narrative that their failure on Klo was the Militia’s fault, began to push Sentinel Prime for expansion of Cybertron’s military forces and the creation of a truly dedicated fighting force. In PSC-10476, Sentinel reluctantly announced  **Project Destron** , an initiative to develop a “new breed” of Cybertronian dedicated to warfare from the moment of their forging. The first of these was forged in PSC-10410, using a point-one-percenter spark harvested from the hot spots in the city-state of Kaon. His name was **Megatron** .

**Megatron**

Upon being forged, Megatron was not only outfitted with the most advanced weaponry, armor, and upgrades — he was given extensive elemental programming that involved exposure to both Cybertronian and non-Cybertronian military strategy, planetary history, intelligence on other races, philosophy, and all other fields one would expect a leader to be familiar with. By the time he was formally introduced to Cybertronian society in PSC-10150, Megatron had already undergone two hundred solar cycles of training and participated in numerous covert operations against the Alliance’s enemies, including the Quintesson Confederacy.

Minister Traachon was Megatron’s most outspoken supporter, and was allowed to take credit for both the creation of Project Destron’s first and most powerful soldier and Megatron’s initial victories. Privately, however, Megatron was most influenced by Sentinel Prime, who acted as a mentor to the young warrior and began to groom him as an eventual successor to his Primeship. In fact, it was Sentinel, a long-time believer in The Thirteen, the supposed original Cybertronians, who named him “Megatron”, after **Megatronus Prime** , who was said to have been the mightiest warrior of their number.

Eventually, Traachon’s lack of military knowledge, as well as the true extent of how he contributed to the failure on Klo, were made known. This marked the end of his appointment as War Minister when he was forced to resign in disgrace. Ten solar cycles later, his vessel was attacked by the Quintesson Confederacy while he was travelling off world, leading to his capture, judgement, and execution by Quintesson Judecators. It has been speculated by many that Megatron was behind Traachon’s ultimate downfall — though this has never been proven.

**The Vanguard**

In PSC-10000, in the  **“Millennium Solar Cycle”** , Sentinel Prime announced that Project Destron was complete, and that the Cybertron Militia had been dissolved, replaced by the newly-established Planetary Vanguard. Megatron was named both Vanguard Commander and War Minister, succeeding Traachon. At its inception, the Vanguard boasted the strength of five hundred warships, ten thousand ground forces, and five thousand air warriors — with the forging of more warriors set to begin immediately.

The establishment of the Vanguard led to sweeping changes in Cybertron’s social order. Warriors became a privileged class now that they were forged as soldiers from inception, and given privilege over those who worked as laborers, scientists, artisans, or otherwise didn’t contribute to the “safety, security, and future” of Cybertron as a whole. Under Megatron’s tenure as War Minister, many of these entitlements were given legal standing, including giving Vanguard Soldiers authority over city-state security forces and allowing the Vanguard to appropriate any enterprise they believed would be beneficial to military efforts.

Inside the Vanguard itself, three distinct special divisions were established: The  **Air Corps** , consisting of all flight-capable soldiers, the **Cavalier Corps** , which included ground units specialized in high-speed combat and cavalry tactics, and the  **Heavy Brigade,** which were ground units outfitted for extreme combat situations. These three units were supported by the general forces, who either served as ground units, pilots, medics, or overall support. Though initially the Vanguard allowed industrial workers, scientists, trained medical personnel, and former Militia members to join the general forces, Megatron soon issued an edict that only those forged for the purposes of serving in the Vanguard were allowed to be members of the organization.

Furthermore, within the Air Corps, there developed more striation between different members of the service. Two types of air warrior were forged, known as  **Seekers** , who were outfitted for high-speed interception and tracking, and  **Cyberjets** , who were more specialized, typically more robust, and outfitted with more powerful weaponry. Cyberjets were initially favored to serve as the bulk of the Air Corps, but Seekers proved to be more efficient to forge with their relatively uniform construction and relatively fewer demands on resources. Their success on the battlefield led to the perception that the Seekers were unique and “elite”, but in reality, it was their reliability by  _ volume _ that made them so successful.

Eventually, it would be a Seeker by the name of **Starscream** who would rise to command the Air Corps. Another Seeker,  **Thrust,** served as Megatron’s chief tactical officer, while an espionage expert by the name of  **Soundwave** was placed in charge of all intelligence operations. The Cavalier Corps came to be led by a soldier called **Arcee** , while the  **Heavy Brigade** fell under the command of  **Onslaught** . Finally, the Vanguard found support among the  **Ministry of Science** in the form of a member known as **Shockwave** , who came to oversee all military scientific advancement.

**A New Order**

With the Vanguard’s rise in power, Megatron grew more and more bold in pushing his vision of Cybertron. In PSC-876 he published his manifesto, titled  **_Peace Through Tyranny_ ** , in which he outlined not only his goals for Cybertron, but the universe at large. An excerpt, from the work’s opening chapter:

> _ “In all of creation, there is no being that reflects the majesty of Cybertronian existence. None that are alike in our capability, our longevity, or our adaptability. Is it not our destiny that our greatness be made manifest across the cosmos? Is it not our responsibility to use our gifts to bring order to this disordered galaxy, so that these lesser beings’ lives might be improved under the glow of our majesty? _
> 
> _ “Even that is not enough. Amongst our own kind there are those that exemplify the virtues of our race more readily than others. Those who should be given greater capacity to thrive, and those who must sacrifice autonomy for the greater good. While this may lead to the loss of what many might call “freedom”, said liberty is but an illusion — by filling their natural role, they are in fact making Cybertron more prosperous and free than it has ever been, truly capable of realizing its potential, its majesty, and divinity.” _

The work went on to serve as a guide for Megatron’s re-envisioning of Cybertronian society, which he was able to implement thanks to the powers that had already been granted to the Vanguard. Though the majority of Cybertronians were non-Combatants, Megatron had successfully maneuvered the consolidation of political power to favor the Vanguard and its supporters. In doing so, he had the overwhelming support of the High Council, who had become increasingly distanced from their constituency by time and success.

In PSC-796, Megatron took his boldest step yet. For years, the Cybertron Alliance had co-existed with the  **Micron Nation** , a political power on Cybertron that had remained independent of the Alliance for millennia. It consisted entirely of  **Microns** , a variety of Cybertronian who were more diminutive and less long-lived than other Cybertronians. Megatron convinced the Council to seize control of the Micron’ territory so that it may better serve the “safety, security, and future” of Cybertron as a whole. As a result, the Microns not only lost their independence and their homes, they were forced to integrate with Cybertronian society as a whole. This, combined with the Microns’ shorter lifespans, effectively eradicated Micronian culture over the course of 300 solar cycles, to the point that even the name “Micron” became forgotten. They instead became known as  **“Mini-Cons”** , the name by which they were referred to by other Cybertronians. In time, these events became known as the  **“Mini-Con Diaspora”** .

By PSC-456, the Planetary Vanguard had become the dominant power on Cybertron, its authority and influence superseding that of the individual city-states. Cybertronian society became increasingly geared towards militarism and expansionism. The one exception to this was  **Iacon** , which served as the seat of power for the High Council and whose constituency had proven resistant to Megatron’s “social reforms”. The Vanguard’s power instead became consolidated in the city-state of  **Kaon** , where Megatron established their headquarters.

Megatron published a new edition of  _ Peace Through Tyranny  _ PSC-232. In it its revised passages, it expressed far more radical views than before and dispensed with all illusions of speaking towards the benefit of other species and those he considered Cybertron’s underclass, instead outright calling them inferior and in some cases, calling for their “cleansing”. This ultimately served to irreparably drive a wedge between Megatron and his “mentor”, Sentinel Prime.

****

**The Siege of Iacon**

By the end of the Pre-War Era, Sentinel Prime had come to see Megatron for what he was. Over the course of the next two hundred years, he began efforts to walk back powers that had been granted to the Vanguard and begin demilitarization efforts. Megatron and his supporters resisted this, but the rest of the High Council, having finally realized that Megatron’s goals had led to a loss of power and influence for them, supported Sentinel Prime’s initiative.

Megatron realized he had no other choice. As the dawn of a new Millennium Solar Cycle approached, he began secret preparations for rebellion. He made his move on the day of celebration, in which Planetary Vanguard forces attacked the ceremonial procession in Iacon. Sentinel Prime was believed to have been killed, though his body was never recovered. At the same time, Onslaught and the Heavy Brigade attacked the High Council acropolis, while Shockwave led forces in seizing control of the Ministry of Science. All High Council members were slain, Ministry members were either killed or taken captive, and the Vanguard laid siege to the rest of the city.

With Iacon under his control, Megatron announced the abolition of the High Council and that the Planetary Vanguard now effectively ruled Cybertron. While the other city-states resisted, they soon found that they were effectively being held hostage by the Vanguard forces installed within their own borders.

As the “debate” waged on, the populace of Iacon began to resist. Though initially unable to stand against the Vanguard’s superior strength, a resistance comprised of members of Iacon’s civilian peacekeeping force, civilians, and industrial workers began to rally together under the leadership of a factory foreman known as  **Orion Pax** and a Peacekeeper named  **Elita-1** . Not only did the resistance drive the Vanguard out; Orion Pax personally engaged Megatron in battle and defeated him. Humbled, Megatron and the Vanguard retreated to Kaon while the rebels took back control of their home.

**Rise of the Decepticons**

Knowledge of the Vanguard’s defeat soon spread across all of Cybertron. All throughout the planet, more and more resistance groups formed. Some were successful, like those in Iacon, while others were quelled, leading to the Vanguard formally taking control of those city-states. Resistance groups began supporting one another, and in time, Cybertron became divided between those territories they controlled and those that remained free.

Unfortunately, the majority of territories lay under Vanguard control. Megatron, incensed at his defeat at Orion Pax’s hands, ordered the extermination of all “rebel forces”. This is what ultimately drove certain members of the Vanguard who were dissatisfied with what it had become to formally break away from the rest of their army, with Cavalier commander Arcee and a ground forces commander named  **Dominus Pax** (later known as   **Ultra Magnus** ) being some of the more prominent dissenters.

With more and more of his own soldiers turning against him, Megatron demanded those that remained swear an oath of loyalty to him. The majority of Cyberjets, long dissatisfied by how ostracized they’d become in favor of the Seekers, refused and were executed in response. This resulted in the Cyberjets’ near eradication, with only a few individuals remaining on both sides.

While the Vanguard maintained the advantage, the balance of power had somewhat equalized. As a result, Megatron gave up his claims of controlling the Cybertronian Alliance, and instead declared the establishment of a new political entity independent of other Cybertronians. In his formal speech, which many mark as the formal declaration of Civil War, he said:

> _ “We have been betrayed. We have been denied our rightful place as rulers of this world, and with it, our chance to realize Cybertron’s destiny. Cowardice and treason have grown even within our own ranks, leading to the blood of Cybertron’s finest being having been spilled by those they once called brothers. _
> 
> _ “There can only be one answer to such actions. Just as we have been betrayed, we will make betrayal our sword. As we have been lied to, we will wield deception as a subtle blade, a knife to the back of those who would oppose us. It is not enough that we be warriors! From this day forward, we are no longer the Planetary Vanguard! Now and forever, we are _ **_Decepticons!”_ **

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoyed my original universe's exploration of the origins of the Decepticons! This was one I felt like I should get out of the way before I got too heavily into things, since it's pretty important to my verse's backstory. I realize most Transformers series of late have had the Decepticons as a rebelling underclass, but for this, however, I wanted to take from the original cartoon's take on the Autobots as laborers and the Decepticons as a privileged warrior class.
> 
> For the record, my original plan was to put these at the end of each chapter, but that made each story more unwieldy. Hence the creation of all this!
> 
> That's all I have for this one. See you next time!


End file.
